Lumber

Ipe wood, also known as Brazilian Walnut, is a high-quality, durable and beautiful hardwood that is often used in decking, flooring, and outdoor furniture. It is a dense, heavy wood with a natural oiliness that makes it resistant to rot, decay, and insects. Its unique combination of strength, hardness, and durability makes it an ideal […]

It’s no secret that the McIlvain family has a long history in the U.S. lumber industry that extends back to before our country was even a nation. But did you know that throughout the Colonial era, Walnut lumber was also exported? British and European artisans were quick to notice this native species’ distinctively appealing hue […]

To some in the lumber industry, Teak seems to be a species that is really gaining some much-deserved attention. Though it’s long been revered in boat building circles (see Part 1),  it’s starting to be piquing the interest of home builders as well (see Part 2). Though most imported Teak lumber is of exceptional quality, […]

In the first article of our series, we discussed how increased access to Teak in the international lumber market could lead to some exciting advantages for home builders. We started off by mentioning how buying top-grade Teak in bulk is necessary due to the high-quality demands of boat builders. Then we touched on the process […]

Changes to export regulations and logging bans in Myanmar are starting to have a major impact on the Teak market. Interestingly, these political changes abroad can have some beneficial side effects for home builders here at home. That’s because Teak lumber materials, which were once pretty hard to come by, have become much more accessible. […]

If you’ve read our first post on this topic, you understand why there’s currently an abundance of Teak ready and waiting for home builders and those in other industries — despite a shortage for boat builders. Not only is this situation favorable to you as a home builder, but it also poses an exciting potential […]

Between constantly changing export regulations and logging bans on Myanmar, the Teak market is constantly in flux. As one of the most significant importers of Teak in the U.S., J. Gibson McIlvain Lumber keeps a constant watch on these issues and tries to keep as much of an inventory of Teak on hand as possible; […]

Lumber pricing gets a bad rap, and we understand why. No, really, we do. Not one of us likes to feel as if we’re paying more than we should be, and when pricing isn’t published or straightforward, it’s easy to feel skeptical. Well, no matter how much we wish we could, we cannot provide a […]

We realize that lumber pricing can often seem like a conundrum, requiring some kind of mystery password to unlock its riddles. While the many factors that influence lumber pricing are far from simple or static, they are comprehensible to the average customer. They’re also complex and nuanced, though, and explaining that to each individual customer […]

What comes to your mind when you think of lumber pricing? Is it confusion or maybe even frustration? Well, we’d like to help create a little more understanding through some education. We started in “What Factors Determine the Price of Lumber?” and continued in “How the Size of Boards Affects Lumber Pricing.” But there’s still […]

Lumber pricing can seem like quite the enigma. To some extent, it is impossible for us to communicate to customers the many factors that contribute to it, but in an effort to unveil the mystery and foster open communication between lumber suppliers and customers, we’re making an attempt. In “What Factors Determine the Price of […]

It may be an understandable question, but it’s also a complicated one: What will my lumber cost? From the customer’s side, it seems simple, reasonable, straightforward. But from the lumber supplier’s standpoint, it’s actually pretty complex, requiring both analysis of the specific aspects of the order as well as synthesis of a variety of factors. […]